


Lightbringers

by reshirama



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, F/F, Femslash February, Gay and Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 20:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13644243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reshirama/pseuds/reshirama
Summary: But Lu has never seen anything like Eve before. Light, not from fire, but from softened lamps- this is no Prometheus, setting herself ablaze for her people. Lu has nothing to compare her to, for she is self made, self built, centred around one goal, but bringing joy to others as she moves.Two Queens move in parallel, stepping towards each other with bright footprints.





	Lightbringers

**Author's Note:**

> There is no content for this ship and it appears I must make it with my own hands. Please write Lueve i will Pay You.  
> This is vaguely pretentious and headcanon based. Nothing about Lu's past here is canon, I'm making shit up.  
> Classes are Innocent (Ishtar/Chevalier), Code: Escensia, Bluhen and Daybringer. Aka vanilla canon classes.

She sees her, in a rush of light. Pink and gold and glory, spilling forth, and Lu thinks that in all her years, she has never seen anything quite like Eve before.

The demon realm held nothing like her. Light was no commodity. The sun hid itself in the sky. Those who brought light were held high, exalted above others. Lu was lucky enough to be one of them. Her power shone blue like a lantern. Not enough to replace the sun, but enough to guide the way for her people.

Darkness incarnate was far more common- fire just a means of destruction rather than a light or warmth. Scar, Karis, Berket. All of them children of darkness- naturally, Luciela, daughter of the light, had been their target.

But Lu has never seen anything like Eve before. Light, not from fire, but from softened lamps- this is no Prometheus, setting herself ablaze for her people. Lu has nothing to compare her to, for she is self made, self built, centred around one goal, but bringing joy to others as she moves.

Ciel has never seen anything like her either- most Nasod he saw as a human, he tells Lu, were not humanoid, did not possess any degree of grace nor poise. Lu thinks that she moves similarly to Ciel on the battlefield in that respect. He thanks her, with a touch of amusement.

Ophelia, Eve's mechanical retainer, blinks at her owlishly one day. She's in the way on the battlefield, and yet she doesn't move.

“You look at my lady a lot, your majesty.” Well, at least the girl has manners. Ciel glares over Lu's shoulder threateningly. Ophelia stares back, undaunted. Lu places a calming hand on his arm.

“A queen may look at another queen, if she so pleases.” Ophelia seems to take no offence. She stands passive, and blinks.

“Pardon, your majesty. It is simply my job to watch after my lady. Any and all threats, no matter how small they might be-”

“Ophelia. Enough. I am sure that Lu is simply watching my back in difficult situations. _At ease._ ” There is a threat in that voice, and Lu blinks as the radiant form of Eve walks over, blinking amber eyes. Ophelia bows, and skips off in the direction of where Oberon waits.

“There was a little truth in her accusations, your lady.” Lu smiles, and Ciel shifts behind her, uneasy. “You... fascinate me. I will confess to watching you out of more than just tactics.”

Eve flinches then, everything furious and upset, and Lu has stumbled.

“I mean- there are no nasod in the demon realm! You are... new to me. It is curiosity alone, I assure you!” Despite everything, she flushes. Ciel laughs behind her, shoulders shaking.

“Oh...” Eve straightens up. “I must admit to being curious about the demon realm. Perhaps we can exchange information at some point.”

“Ciel makes incredible tea. We shall have to have a meeting over a cup of it.” Can nasod even drink? Lu fears she has made a mistake, but Eve smiles, gentle and radiant.

“Agreed. Oberon is not up to Ciel's standard, but he is diligent. We will return the favour.” And then she turns, clicks her fingers, and her attendants come to her side in an instant.

Lu watches her go with a feeling of satisfaction in her stomach. Ciel's shoulders shake again.

“You're not bad at flirting, Lu.” Lu _squeaks_.

“I was not flirting! I-it's important- as a queen- to establish good connections for when I get my throne back! The ruler of the Nasod race is a powerful ally and- Ciel, stop laughing!”

He doesn't. She can feel his grin, his teasing through the Contract. “I could have you executed, you know.”

“Your Pact Partner? Isn't that against some cosmic law, my lady?” Ciel is absolutely teasing now, and she elbows him, hard. “Alright. Not flirting.” There's a pause. She feels him prepare the next line through their bond. “So, what kind of tea would you like for you and her majesty's date?”

Lu squawks most undignified, and flaps at his hands, but she cannot feel bad when his eyes shine so happy and gentle with joy and affection.

 

“I have to apologise to you.” Lu tucks a stray hair behind her ear, and blinks. Before her, Ain stands, eyes wary, long coat thrown off his shoulders. “I misjudged you.”

“What's brought this on, demon?” Lu feels Ciel twinge with fury even across the other side of the camp, but she hushes him, gentle.

“You're no longer aligned with Ishmael, are you?” Ain blinks. “I thought not. Elia is a friend, even to us demons. We are not so foolish as to shun our own creator.”

“You...” Ain sounds weak, lost.

“We are not like you. We are a result of evolution. Some may claim Henir to be our creator, but we are, at our core, our own creatures. We hate Ishmael because she hurt us. No other reason. To despise the one who made us and our world would be disgusting. Even the most violent of demons, even the Henir worshippers, have some speck of gratitude to Elia in them.”

“I... see.” Ain's voice is hushed. He's normally a flash of bright light on the battlefield, not unlike the way Lu herself shines. Fingers tent, and he frowns.

“I'm not here to make excuses for what my fellow demons have done. It's true, they did it in the name of destruction. But the demon realm is no easy place to live. You'll see, soon enough.” Lu blinks at the gate that's being opened. “The El was created to give life to humanity. The Dark El, its shadow. But all that light had to come from somewhere, didn't it?” A sigh. “Ishmael is not so powerful that she can create something out of nothing. You learned that, didn't you?” A sharp glace. Ain's eyes hold pain. “Elia is much more powerful. It was nice that she was able to sustain you, even if you aren't her own puppet.”

“Be quiet.” Ain's voice is the closest to a growl that Lu has ever heard. “You know- you know _nothing_ of Ishmael. She wouldn't- she never-”

“And yet you stand here, your soul kept alive by Elia, not Ishmael. I know your type. Memory-walkers- you'd never have even existed if Elia hadn't taken a little liking to you.” Ciel cries to her to _not provoke him, please_ , through the Contract, and Ain's eyes grow dark. Lu can't stop, though. Ain's eyes growing wet and dark is so new, so interesting that she cannot stop. “You're just a little puppet. Someone needs to make you dance, don't they? You can say what you'd like, but-” A sword, green and glowing, flashes, and Lu catches it in her bare hand. It barely prickles. She flexes her hand, and a soul trickles up the blade, and scatters it into fragments. “I came to apologise for treating you as I would a _true_ Ishmael aligned angel. But I will say what I like. I am more powerful than you could ever hope to be, little angel. You are a cast, a doll. I am 1000 years of evolution and adaption. You have begun your path to being truly free, but until you are on it, do not think to speak to me as an equal.”

“Lu!” Ciel cries, and she looks. There are tears streaking down Ain's face, and he gasps, touches them, and brings his hand down. There's something in his eyes beyond the sadness, something like wonder. The poor thing, she thinks to herself. The poor, poor thing- only just discovering hurt and pain and all that proves that one is truly alive.

“Your majesty.” A new voice, and Lu turns, surprise lighting up her eyes. “Is it true- that demons were not created by Henir? That is not what it says in my data banks.” Eve stands, eyes flickering gold between Ain's tear streaked face, and Lu.

“Yes. It's true. We were born as scions of the Dark El. No human equivalent was able to survive in the demon realm. We could be considered parallels to elves, I suppose. Except we thrived, where they did not.”

Eve whips out a floating keyboard, and begins to type faster than Lu can keep up with. “Your majesty- I would like to hear more about the demon realm, if that is alright.”

“Now?” Lu can't keep the surprise out of her voice. Ciel has excused himself from where he was talking with Rena to make tea.

“Yes, my lady. If that is alright by you.” Eve bows, and her eyes flicker to Ain, who stands still, face blank. It is an unspoken question to Lu.

“Now, now. We are both queens here. You may call me Lu.” Lu shuffles around (her new dress is so complicated!). _It's in your left sleeve._ Ciel says, chuckling slightly. She thanks him, and pulls out her silk handkerchief. And then carefully, as though she were approaching a timid animal, she wipes Ain's cheeks. “Would you like tea as well, Ain? Consider it an apology.” It didn't matter what for. Still mute, he nodded. “Good. Us nonhumans have to stick together, don't we, now?” Lu catches Eve's smile over Ain's shoulder, and she reaches up to pet his hair. He flinches for a moment, before blinking, gentle, back at her. Across the camp, Ciel fills three cups with tea, humming happily.

 

Their meetings become a common occurrence. Rena joins occasionally, and the rest of the camp calls it the 'Nonhuman Meetings'. Lu enjoys them, enjoys the break from the frankly tiring human mindset that the rest of the El Search Party (sans Ciel, of course) is plagued with.

“So, you say that elves are watchers of order, and demons, as their opposite, are watchers of chaos?” Eve types a lot. Lu has learned that she is making a database. The Nasods' ability to record and recount is one of the driving forces of their race, Lu thinks. One day, they may become the authority on... everything, ever.

“Yes. But that doesn't mean that all demons are inherently chaotic, nor all elves inherently ordered. It's just the role that we assigned by fate, I suppose. There is room within that for other developments, for better or for worse.”

“That's true!” Rena chirps. “Dark Elves are ordered, but they're not paragons of order, y'know? But they're not evil. And there are plenty of... questionable elves in the village I came from. I think that all extremes bring out both the best and the worst in people.”

“I... see.” Eve looks down, eyes clouded with... something. “Then what would you say the Nasod are?”

“Nasod have the potential for both order and chaos within them, and for everything that comes with both of it. You don't have to be extremes. You don't have to choose.” Ain- sitting forward. “Compared to most, from what I've seen, you are new. You have room to grow.” A soft smile. “Your people can be whatever they want to be.”

Eve seems to freeze then, and a soft smile graces her face. “Of all people in this room, you are the one I trust with that the most, Ain.” Lu tries not to feel something painful in her chest. Rena laughs.

“There will be members of your people who are not... good. Who are bad. But if they have not helped you, have not been helped by you, are not working towards what you want, then they have no right to claim you as their inspiration or sovereign.” Lu sits back. “I cannot pretend to have not done terrible things. But I never wanted to do them. And even I drew a line. Senseless murder in my name was something I never tolerated, and never will. There were things done to me, done to those I loved, that I will never see repeated again.” Three pairs of eyes stared back at her.

“Lu.” It's Ain who speaks, and she tilts her head. “Tell us- tell us about your childhood.”

“It's not a happy story.” she says, a warning.

“Lu-” Ciel is by her side, and she reassures him with a wave of comfort. He stands, though, waiting.

There is no answer from the other three. Ain looks nervous, almost afraid, if Lu knew he didn't know fear. Rena looks uncomfortable, like she's ready to run. And Eve- gods, Eve- looks curious in a way that is almost hungry. Does she want to know that badly? Does she want to know everything about Lu the way that Lu wants to know everything about her?

“When I was born, a thousand years ago, the world was not kind to demons. Especially not children.” She sips tea. “I don't remember my parents. They probably abandoned me and my brother on the streets when I was born. That's how it was. You let your children go, and if they were strong, they'd make their way home. We never made our way home. My brother died saving me from a pack of bounty hunters.” A blink. “I swore, after that, to never let anyone die for me again.” Ciel shifts against her side, and she feels a wave of apology from him. She shoots comfort and love back at him, and he softens. “I trained myself in the back streets. I did... kill. I did. But only when I had to. I needed to get up to the _top_. That's how demon society worked- still does in some places. It took about fifty years, but I eventually became the ruler of my home town. And from there, I worked my way across the land, until I ruled a quarter of the demon realm. It was about then that the Demon King approached me, and three other rulers of the demon realm in an effort to unite the land. I suppose it worked. It was peaceful, and the four of us were allowed to maintain our lands as we wished. My children got to grow up happy, as did their friends. I couldn't make it a perfect place to live, but children were no longer hunted for sport.”

“You had children?” Rena's voice seems slightly strained.

“Arioch and Morte. I haven't heard from them in hundreds of years. I hope they're doing well.” Lu takes another sip of tea. “I suppose they'd be a little surprised to see their old lady looking like this.” Ciel laughs silently.

“Old... lady.” Ain sounds like he's about to have a heart attack.

“I'm a thousand years old. How about you?”

“I... a hundred, I think. Young for an elf.” Rena says.

“I don't know. Not old.” Ain blinks, frowns at her.

“Nearly a thousand myself. I'm not entirely sure. I was asleep for a lot of it.” Eve replies, poised.

“Human age is a myth. We are all old and young in our own ways, I'm certain. I mean, to most of you I must seem ancient. But when it comes to the universe... Elia and Henir are both infinite, and even within my people there were thousands who came before me. Measuring ourselves on age is foolish, beyond the fact that we are all adults, who have all experienced things beyond each others' understanding. And we can learn.”

There's a shift, then, she feels it. All three of them smile. Ciel, with a gentle tilt of his mouth, nudges Lu's arm.

“You are... much wiser than I thought you'd be.” Ain says.

“You! You never change! I've been wiser than you from the moment we met, you... you angel!” Lu splutters, and Eve chuckles behind her hand. Her eyes are so gentle. Ain laughs too, nervous. Rena throws back her head and _shrieks_. And Lu feels Ciel's shoulders shake, and the contract sweeps her into a fit of giggles herself.

It's been a long time since Lu has had friends. She'll miss them when this is all over, she thinks.

 

“I'd like to suggest an alliance.” Eve says one day. It's just the two of them- Ain excused himself to watch over Elsword, and Rena is training with Raven.

“Hm?” Lu looks up from her book to see the queen staring at her.

“Between the demon realm and the Nasod people. For when this war is over. I want us to be allies.” Eve holds out her empty tea cup, and Ophelia moves forward to refill it.

“There is no guarantee that I will get my throne back. Even if I do, it will only be about a quarter of the demon realm. Unless we find the lost Demon King, there cannot be any true alliance.” Lu frowns.

“I know. I know all of this. All the same, I have decided to believe in you, my friends. And a quarter of the demon realm is a mighty ally regardless.” Lu ducks her head, feels Ciel sigh through the contract. Her cheeks flush red.

Is she really this obvious? There could be nothing more different that demons and Nasod. Their lands are far apart. Their cultures are practically opposites. And yet...

It has been so long since she has had a lover. She cannot pretend to be anything of an expert, for all her harping about long, long lifespans and experience. Her last partner died a horrible death, leaving her with two children and a land to rule. So she had focused herself on becoming a leader worthy of her memory, and interest in _romance_ had faded.

And yet... Eve is soft and sharp all in one. Her eyelashes flutter when she talks about something confusing. Her fingers tent like an empty church when she thinks. She bites her lip and calls upon Ophelia when she is lonely, and leans hard against Oberon when angry.

Lu has not felt the urge to hold someone's hand in a long, long time, has not felt the urge to frame a girl's face, to get close.

She did not think she was capable of feeling it, but here is Eve, proving her wrong in so many ways, thousands of years opening up and crumbling to pieces in front of this queen, this ruler who sits parallel to her, and does what she has been doing for so long with kindness in her eyes and gentle hands.

“You have too much trust in me.” Ciel cries out to her through the contract, telling her that neither he nor Eve have too much trust in her.

“I do not think I can have too much trust in someone who has done so much for her land. I hope to learn from you, Lu. And an alliance will help me.”

Lu sighs, feels her heart beat too fast within her chest. “I have a lot to learn from you, as well, Eve. So, I agree to your alliance. May the Steel Queen and the White Empress have a friendship that defies time.” She reaches out, before she can stop herself, and catches Eve's hand in her own, and brings it to her mouth. She's pressed a kiss to it, and places it back down on the table.

Eve's face is bright pink. Ciel, even far away, can sense her panic, and sends calm to her. She is shaking, though, claws digging into the table as she waits.

“I... thank you.” Eve stutters out, and reaches for Lu's own hand.

Lu does not wear gloves. The feeling of Eve's mouth, warm in a way that one would not expect of a Nasod, against her bare skin, makes shivers run up and down her spine, and she feels like a teenager again, crushing after some bright unattainable _someone_ , anyone.

Except that Eve isn't unattainable. She's here, and she's just as flushed as Lu, and she hasn't let go of her hand. And Lu thinks _screw it_ , she only lives once, and it might be a damn long life, but she has to get what she wants- what she desperately wants _sometimes_.

She leans across the table, and kisses Eve on her mouth.

Eve's mouth feels so much better on her own than it did on her hand. Lu waits for Oberon's blade to sing, and her head to go flying across the land, and that will be how the Steel Queen ends, but it never comes. Instead, Eve lets go of her hand, and threads her fingers through her hair, touches her horns, her ears, careful and innocent and soft, and Lu steps back.

Eve's eyes gleam with- joy? Is that joy? Could it be? Her wings fold in to frame them, to shade them from prying eyes, and in the shadow they provide, Lu thinks she sees a light, new and translucent and gleaming, unlike anything she has known before, shining between the two of them.

 

They lie together, in soft nightgowns, legs tangled.

“We're nearing the end, dearest.” Lu sighs, brushes her hands through Eve's untied hair.

“It's not the end.” Eve says, and her eyes, gold and bright, stare at Lu with such conviction that she shivers. “It's the beginning.”

“I'll miss you.” Lu murmurs, and bites her lip. “I'll miss you so much.”

“Don't be a sap. We will visit each other. Elysion is growing by the day, and as... allies, we'll need to see your land to help with supplies.”

“Allies.” Lu snorts. “Is that what we'll tell the world?”

“Well...” Eve's voice is slightly playful, and a tiny smile plays upon her face. “It's not a lie, is it?”

Lu laughs, the kind that only Eve can bring out of her, and kisses her forehead. “I should hope not!”

“Besides, I could never live in the demon realm, and you could never live in Elysion. We'll write when we don't see each other. I'll send messenger bots every week.”

“Yes, and I'll kiss your handwriting, and your messengers!” Her tone is light.

“Don't you dare!” Eve sits upright, face blushing, and Lu laughs again. Her whole face shifts, and she levitates a pillow to drop on Lu. Lu shrieks, claws it to pieces on instinct, and flushes red herself as sunlight streaks through the window, and sets the feathers, Eve's hair, Eve's eyes alight.

And she feels Ciel stir through the contract, hears someone laugh outside, and she knows, that whatever happens next, this will be alright. She'll be happy. Her Pact Partner, half her very soul, the woman she's in love with, her friends, the world.

She's looking forward to the future. It's a new feeling, but she'll take it. Her life has been so full of hardship, and she's never stopped to complain. Even when her life was torn from her. Even when Berket and Karis stuck chains through her heart and left her for dead. Even as she watched Ciel die in front of her, and thought _I never want to see someone hurt for me again_ , and took his soul into her hands and made it her home, even when she watched the demon god tear open the sky, and Elesis pour herself into chains where her own wouldn't hold. Even as Elsword faded away and she thought _not again, please, not again_ , as Eve began to look at her like that and her heart began to beat faster.

Demons do not consider 'friends', because you can loose people so easily. If you love someone, you love them enough to protect them forever, so they can never leave. Pact partners die when the other end of their Contract does. It's a gift- you don't want to be alone after half of your soul is gone. But Lu thinks she's a strange demon, with all these friends who look after themselves, and a lover who rules her own country.

Just a few years ago she might have hated herself for it. But Ciel is awake and happy, and Eve is laughing, and she can't hate herself for being content. It wouldn't be fair on anyone. Besides, a little light never hurt, and Eve is so, so bright, that Lu thinks she might go blind from it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Lu and Eve get married when the war is over, under an arch of metal and dark blue flowers. The entire El Search Party is invited. Add only shows up for the food. Ciel cries a river. Ain lets him wipe his nose on his coat.  
> In other news, the idea of Lu, Eve, Ain and Rena having a 'No Humans Allowed' club is so funny to me.


End file.
